TRIBUTES have been paid to a bus driver who managed to steer his coach to safety as he was dying after suffering a heart attack.

Bill Craven, 74, bravely steered his 60-seater holiday coach to the side of the road after falling ill, clipping a lamppost on the A1 southbound carriageway on the motorway near Lobley Hill, Gateshead.

The grandfather-of-three of Westerhope, Newcastle, was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead after saving nearly 50 passengers, and despite attempts to save him died shortly after arriving.

He leaves behind his partner Kath, son Brian, stepchildren Debbie, Joseph and Dawn and grandchildren Jennifer, Megan and Joshua.

Dad-of-three Brian, 44, of Newcastle, said: “He was my best friend and we’ll miss him. He was an experienced driver and he loved meeting new people and taking them to new places. He was caring, polite and had integrity

“What I thought was very touching, was a lady on the bus who helped him came to his funeral to express her condolence. She introduced herself to me. It was a lovely thing for a stranger to do.”